Guangdong unveils first list of regional and indigenous botanical gardens

Recently, the Forestry Administration of Guangdong Province released the first list of regional and indigenous botanical gardens in Guangdong, designating 26 ex-situ conservation institutions, such as Guangzhou Yunxi Botanical Garden, as part of Guangdong's plant ex-situ conservation system. These 26 institutions are categorized into eight regional botanical gardens and 18 indigenous botanical gardens, encompassing various types such as botanical gardens, arboretums, propagation and ex-situ conservation research centers, and germplasm resource nurseries (banks).

Yunxi Botanical Garden

List:

Guangdong Tree Park (广东树木园)

Guangzhou Ornamental Plant Germplasm Garden (广州观赏植物种质园)

Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden (深圳市仙湖植物园)

The Orchid Conservation & Research Center of Shenzhen (深圳市兰科中心植物园)

Foshan Botanical Garden (佛山植物园)

Huizhou Botanical Garden (惠州植物园)

Dongguan Botanical Garden (东莞植物园)

South Subtropical Botanical Garden (南亚热带植物园)

Guangzhou Yunxi Botanical Garden (广州云溪植物园)

Guangzhou Haizhu Wetland Indigenous Plant Display Garden (广州海珠湿地乡土植物展示园)

Guangzhou Pearl River Park Palm and Shade Plant Specialized Display Garden (广州珠江公园棕榈与荫生专类植物展示园)

Guangzhou Conghua Cherry Blossom Specialized Plant Display Garden (广州从化樱花专类植物展示园)

Guangzhou Shennong Caotang South Medicine Specialized Garden (广州神农草堂南药专类植物园)

South China Agricultural University Arboretum (华南农业大学树木园)

Medicinal Botanical Garden of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University (广东药科大学药用植物园)

Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering Botanical Garden (仲恺农业工程学院植物园)

Guangdong Zijin Baixi Provincial Nature Reserve Plant Conservation and Science Park (广东紫金白溪省级自然保护区植物保育科普园)

Meizhou Huangyoubi South Medicine Plant Display Garden (梅州皇佑笔南药植物展示园)

Shanwei State-owned Jixi Forest Farm Botanical Garden (汕尾市国有吉溪林场植物园)

Dongguan Forestry Science Park (东莞市林业科学园)

Dongguan Yinpingshan Forest Park Indigenous Botanical Garden (东莞市银瓶山森林公园乡土植物园)

Zhongshan Botanical Garden (中山植物园)

Zhaoqing Guangning Bamboo Ex-situ Conservation Base (肇庆广宁竹类植物迁地保护基地)

Guangdong Liangtian South Medicine Botanical Garden (广东良田南药植物园)

Yunfu Botanical Garden (云浮植物园)

National South Medicine Seedling Propagation Standardization Demonstration Zone (国家南药种苗繁育标准化示范区)

Yunxi Botanical Garden

These regional and indigenous botanical gardens included in the ex-situ conservation system are managed by various sectors, such as forestry, agriculture, urban management, and education. They are preliminarily classified into four functional types: botanical gardens, arboretums, germplasm gardens, and demonstration gardens, all dedicated to promoting comprehensive development in plant conservation research, sustainable utilization, talent cultivation, nature education, and landscape horticulture. For example, Guangzhou Yunxi Botanical Garden currently boasts a Nature Education Pavilion, five specialized plant display gardens, and three ecological leisure trails, where over 1,300 species of indigenous and rare plants thrive, showcasing plant species from tropical to subtropical climatic zones.

The Orchid Conservation & Research Center of Shenzhen

Guangdong is home to 6,658 native wild higher plant species, accounting for approximately one-sixth of the national total. As of 2023, Guangdong has established 35 ex-situ conservation institutions of various types, including botanical gardens, arboretums, germplasm resource banks, conservation centers, display gardens, demonstration gardens and bases.